In order to facilitate the rapid digitization of rare books while ensuring their safety, we have designed a special book cradle. Using this cradle it is possible to produce flat page images of consistent size. Through repeated experiments with various digital and analogue cameras-primarily the SHD View-2 digital camera (2048 x 2048) developed by NTT and Olympus-we are now able to produce digital facsimiles of complete books within a very short time.Among the works we have successfully digitized are: several sets of the Gutenberg Bible (Keio University, Cambridge University Library, Gutenberg Museum, British Library); Cesare Ripa, lconologia, 5 vols (1764-67); a collection of MS and printed leaves from Keio University Library; and a 15th-century Book of Hours. The images have been made available either as on-line digital facsimiles or as part of an on-line image catalogue (http://www.humi.keio.ac.jp).In addition, various new approaches to digital bibliography have been explored. These include on-line collation using digital facsimiles, the application of OCR to early printed books in Latin, development of a search facility for image databases, and a synchronized pan-and-zoom interface to facilitate network-based bibliographical comparisons.Both the digital facsimiles and these new research tools were employed for bibliographical and cultural studies of European MSS and early printed books dealing with the printing of incunabulae, the interaction of word and image in medieval MSS and early printed books, and related studies.